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I don't have the time today to answer all your questions, but I would love to point you into the Psalms. I encourage you to read them. There is a great deal of information there to answer your questions without directing you anywhere else.

I pray that you are blessed. David had so much to say about this and nothing is better for teaching you about what the Bible says that the Word of God (and the Holy Spirit) itself!

There are 150. You can read them all within a month and take notes every time you see anything about contemplating, thinking about, and meditating in them and see what the Lord has to say!

Comment

How exactly does one Biblically meditate and what does the term mystical meditation mean? I am looking for answers in layman's terms. Thanks in advance.

Easiest answer is this:

Biblical meditation was an active filling of the mind in a very measured and engaged way. David would contemplate/consider/ponder etc every aspect of what was on his mind.

Contemplative asks us to disengage and empty the mind before God can "speak". IMO, and in all practical application, there is no difference between contemplative spirituality and any Eastern mysticism, or that of catholic mystics.

There is One King, and He is not this guy. sigpic

Comment

One of the premier contemplatives today is a guy names Richard Foster. Here is a sample of his works, and so as to be clear, I own these books so as to quote and not be accused of copy and pasting someone else.

At the outset I need to give a word of warning, a little like the warning label on a medicine bottle
Contemplative prayer is not for the novice. I do not say this about any other form of prayer. All
are welcome, regardless of proficiency or expertise, to enter freely into adoration and meditation
and intercession and a host of other approaches to prayer. But contemplative is different. While
we are all equally precious in the eyes of God, we are not all equally ready to listen to "God's
speech in His wonderful, terrible, gentle, loving, all embracing silence.

I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering
deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as supernatural guidance that is not
divine guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on the spiritual world, we
do know enough to recognize that there are various orders of spiritual being and some of them
are definitely in cooperation with God and His way.

We will discuss in considerable detail the spiritual warfare we wage in a later chapter. But for
now I want to encourage you to learn a practice of prayers of protection.

My own approach is to preface a time of contemplation by speaking this simple prayer: "By the
authority of almighty God I surround myself in the light of Christ, I cover myself with the blood
of Christ, and I seal myself with the cross of Christ. All dark and evil spirits must now leave. No
influence is allowed to come near to me but that it is first filtered through the light of Christ, in
whose name I pray. Amen.

Perhaps the most common misconception of all is to view meditation as a religious form of psychological manipulation. It may have value
in dropping our blood pressure or in relieving tension. It may even provide us with meaningful insights by helping us get in touch with our
subconscious mind. But the idea of actual contact and communion with a spiritual sphere of existence sounds unscientific and fairly
unreasonable. If you feel that we live in a purely physical universe, you will view meditation as a good way to obtain a constant alpha
brain wave pattern.

(Celebration of Discipline pg.17 1978 edition)

Alpha is what any new ager looks to attain to commune with the divine self.

Foster is a dangerous wolf if ever there was one, and yet I would wager most pastors have some of his writings. All the ones I have are for the sole purpose are research so as to warn the flock.

There is One King, and He is not this guy. sigpic

Comment

I am sorry for not responding sooner. I have been super busy at work and although I can read everything on RR from my phone, it takes forever and a day to post anything, so I very much prefer to use a desktop for replying to anything on here.

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

I think this topic is just over my head. I am guessing since I have no grasp of the concept of emptying my mind that I have never prayed contemplatively. It is impossible to 'empty' a mind. It works 24/7. Sometimes, I wish I could 'turn off my mind'! I don't understand why anyone would believe such a thing.

sigpic“My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)